Couple of Transportation Questions

[bhyer]

Hi all,

The hotel/motel we are staying at charges for valet parking (apparently valet is usually the only option) and we are going to be renting a car for a few days of our trip. Are you supposed to tip every time you drop off the car? And pick it up? And if so, how much? Please, if anyone knows!

Also, was going to book a car service for transportation to and from the airport. Looked at Lansky and looked at Execucar. Lansky is more than twice as much. Does anyone know why? Is Execucar a good choice for two adults?

 

[StormyCA]

Technically, you're supposed to tip only when you pick up your car. And yes, that would be each time you do. Many people tip at both drop off and pick up.

You may want to consider Uber/Lyft. Parking at DL is $25/day. Plus a valet tip of, say, $5.00/day (if you only tip at pick up) and you're talking $30.00 per day just for transportation. Depending on your hotel's location, Uber or Lyft would probably be considerably less. When we stay offsite, we're about 3/4 mile away and r/t UberX (up to 4 passengers) + tip runs us about $14 per day.

Same for your airport, look into Uber/Lyft for pickup & drop off. It's usually much cheaper than a car service, even using UberXL (SUV/van).

Caveat:Uber/Lyft doesn't have carseats.

 

[bhyer]

Technically, you're supposed to tip only when you pick up your car. And yes, that would be each time you do. Many people tip at both drop off and pick up.

You may want to consider Uber/Lyft. Parking at DL is $25/day. Plus a valet tip of, say, $5.00/day (if you only tip at pick up) and you're talking $30.00 per day just for transportation. Depending on your hotel's location, Uber or Lyft would probably be considerably less. When we stay offsite, we're about 3/4 mile away and r/t UberX (up to 4 passengers) + tip runs us about $14 per day.

Same for your airport, look into Uber/Lyft for pickup & drop off. It's usually much cheaper than a car service, even using UberXL (SUV/van).

Caveat:Uber/Lyft doesn't have carseats.

Thank you for the tipping information. I was thinking a car service (like execucar) which has a set price - $50 from LAX to our hotel in Anaheim. I've heard traffic can be really bad in LA and I'm worried something like an Uber could end up being a fortune if traffic is bad. Also, I have never used Uber so can't quite picture how it works - what happens if you are at the beach and you want to be picked up, how long it takes for them to get to you. Stuff like that.
We have only rented a car for the day we are going to Universal and then 3 days later in our trip when we are going to San Diego and zoo and beach.

 

[StormyCA]

Thank you for the tipping information. I was thinking a car service (like execucar) which has a set price - $50 from LAX to our hotel in Anaheim. I've heard traffic can be really bad in LA and I'm worried something like an Uber could end up being a fortune if traffic is bad. Also, I have never used Uber so can't quite picture how it works - what happens if you are at the beach and you want to be picked up, how long it takes for them to get to you. Stuff like that.
We have only rented a car for the day we are going to Universal and then 3 days later in our trip when we are going to San Diego and zoo and beach.

Uber/Lyft are done via a phone app. You request a ride via the app and they tell you how much it's going to cost (based on your destination) and how long it will take for a driver to get to you. You get picked up and dropped at your destination and the fare is paid via the bank info you've put in the app. No cash changes hands.

In the LA metro/Anaheim area it never takes long for a driver to get to you, maybe 5-10 minutes, but you're right in that the fares are higher (surge pricing) when demand is heavy. So if you want an 'absolute' price then a car service would probably be better for you, even if it's more expensive. But I'd definitely consider it for getting to the Park and back.


https://www.uber.com/us/en/about/how-does-uber-work/

 

[bhyer]

Uber/Lyft are done via a phone app. You request a ride via the app and they tell you how much it's going to cost (based on your destination) and how long it will take for a driver to get to you. You get picked up and dropped at your destination and the fare is paid via the bank info you've put in the app. No cash changes hands.

In the LA metro/Anaheim area it never takes long for a driver to get to you, maybe 5-10 minutes, but you're right in that the fares are higher (surge pricing) when demand is heavy. So if you want an 'absolute' price then a car service would probably be better for you, even if it's more expensive. But I'd definitely consider it for getting to the Park and back.


https://www.uber.com/us/en/about/how-does-uber-work/

Thank you! We are just staying across the street at the Fairfield so we will be walking to the park! That I can afford

 

[bhyer]

Has anyone used execucar? Does it sound okay for transportation between airport and hotel?

 

[avalon451]

Has anyone used execucar? Does it sound okay for transportation between airport and hotel?

Somebody else posted here about it and had a very positive experience. I was looking into Uber, Execucar (which I believe is a part of Super Shuttle) and Lansky. It looks like Execucar is a good alternative. They call to confirm the day before, they are waiting for you in the cell phone lot and will be there in moments when you text, and help with luggage. Lansky sounds great and will meet you with your name on a placard, take your luggage, etc... but we don't need that.

I usually use Uber, but that's been to/from SNA, and even with surge pricing never really goes above $25 or so. From LAX I wanted something a little more service oriented. We've certainly had good experiences with Uber, but we've had a few questionable ones, too. Like the last trip from Harbor to SNA, when the guy showed up in a car that wasn't the one described ("It's my brother's, mine is in the shop!") and the trunk was full of junk with little room for our luggage, and the car was cluttered with cups, etc. I decided for flying into LAX, I'd spring for a little bigger car from a dedicated fleet and a professional driver.

 

[Becca1007]

Somebody else posted here about it and had a very positive experience. I was looking into Uber, Execucar (which I believe is a part of Super Shuttle) and Lansky. It looks like Execucar is a good alternative. They call to confirm the day before, they are waiting for you in the cell phone lot and will be there in moments when you text, and help with luggage. Lansky sounds great and will meet you with your name on a placard, take your luggage, etc... but we don't need that.

I usually use Uber, but that's been to/from SNA, and even with surge pricing never really goes above $25 or so. From LAX I wanted something a little more service oriented. We've certainly had good experiences with Uber, but we've had a few questionable ones, too. Like the last trip from Harbor to SNA, when the guy showed up in a car that wasn't the one described ("It's my brother's, mine is in the shop!") and the trunk was full of junk with little room for our luggage, and the car was cluttered with cups, etc. I decided for flying into LAX, I'd spring for a little bigger car from a dedicated fleet and a professional driver.

Just FYI, if the car that shows up is not the car stated in the app, you can do the following: take a photo of the license plate and cancel the ride. Then send a message to the support desk stating that the car that arrived was not up to Uber standards and was not the car listed on the app. They will then refund the cancellation fee and you can book a new car with no penalty.
Riding in a car that is not listed on the app is a safety concern as your safe ride features will not work since the information that is transmitted to police if you have an emergency will not be about the car you are actually traveling in.

 

[TikiTikiFan]

We often use Super Shuttle and have always had good experiences. We tried Lansky last time though and didn’t have major issues. They boast about the luxury cars but the SUV they sent was smaller than a Super Shuttle van and they had a hard time dealing with our luggage. The guy was pretty grumpy too but we got to where we were going on time and they do a grocery store stop which is a nice plus. I just didn’t get that ‘luxury’ vibe they claim to have.

 

[redleader74]

We used Lanksy to/from on our trip last week and it was a flawless experience. Expensive? Yes, very much so. And if it were just me and my wife I would have just used a cab or uber/lyft or something. But it was our first time with our 9.5 mos old and I felt better with a "professional" service. Lanksy includes in it's price a 20 minute grocery stop from the airport to the hotel, should you need one. Considering how expensive water is at the park and that we're still a good walk from the nearest CVS/Walgreens, this grocery stop was invaluable. We had luggage, stroller, car seat, etc., and the driver met us with a sign in the baggage are of the airport, and carried our bags to the car. Well mannered, very considerate and helpful from start to finish. We got the same driver for the ride back to the airpor. He even left the car running while we ere grocery shopping so the AC could keep the car cool for us. I actually asked him to stop at Target but he said the prices at Vons were cheaper, ha ha.

Again, you're paying for a professional service. This is not someone that has the GPS on his phone up and needs to use it to get you from point A to B, they know exactly where they're going because they already have your route ahead of time....they know which side of the street to be on for your hotel well in advance, no illegal U-turns or double parking on the street or any of the behavior of uber/lyft that we've all come to know. Upon departure driver was waiting for us in the hotel lobby, ready to help us with our bags. Will definitely use them again on our next trip.

 

[felice]

Do also check out Karmel Shuttle as well, they have good service even despite the traffic within LA itself. We would recommend them.

 

[avalon451]

I have done various shared shuttles-- Super Shuttle a couple of times-- and I won't do them any more. It's quite possible to be the last one dropped off out of 5 stops. Last time from SNA, it took 2 hours, because several people were getting dropped off all over Garden Grove, etc. I was the last dropped off at my hotel on Harbor. Also, going back to the airport, I had a 15 minute window for pickup. When I got back to my hotel for pickup, it was 20 minutes before that window, but the van was there waiting, and the guy was irritated that I wasn't there and ready, 20 minutes early. Uber, taxi or a private car service for me!

 

[Megan27ist]

Also, going back to the airport, I had a 15 minute window for pickup. When I got back to my hotel for pickup, it was 20 minutes before that window, but the van was there waiting, and the guy was irritated that I wasn't there and ready, 20 minutes early. Uber, taxi or a private car service for me!

I had the same thing happen to me on my trip back to the airport with super shuttle. I had my family pack up the room first thing in the morning, which it's a good thing we did. The driver was 30 minutes earlier than our scheduled time, and they called my cell phone and said we had 5 minutes to get out there, otherwise we forfeit the trip with no refund. I had my family run to the van (and stall the driver) while I checked out of the hotel

 

[CherylGonz]

Thank you! We are just staying across the street at the Fairfield so we will be walking to the park! That I can afford

We just stayed at the Fairfield Aug 18-23. If noise is an issue for you or you will not be going to the parks early you may want a room on the front of the building. There is construction going on in the back. I only noticed it on the last day when we left later in the AM. We were up on the 7th floor. I think we were also so exhausted we could sleep through anything. We used Lansky and loved it but there was also 5 of us so they price is more justified

 

[bhyer]

Oooh, thank you for mentioning that. Is the construction actually in the hotel - or is it behind the building?

 

[bhyer]

We decided we will try Execucar. The price seems like a good in-between. Although Lansky sounds amazing we don't need a grocery stop and the price is prohibitive for the two of us. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback. The information you provide is so kind and helpful and valuable!

 

[CherylGonz]

Oooh, thank you for mentioning that. Is the construction actually in the hotel - or is it behind the building?

Not at the hotel but at a building directly behind

 

[Malcon10t]

Has anyone used execucar? Does it sound okay for transportation between airport and hotel?

We Execucar and like it. Valet, we tip at pick up. At DLH, we do tip both drop and pick up. But I tip extra there because I ask for them to park it somewhere specific and they do.

 

[bhyer]

I was going to book Execucar but started reading reviews as I was looking for a description of the difference between their business express and premium sedan service and the reviews are awful. I'm too scared to try them now. So now trying to talk myself into using Lansky even though it's so expensive. We would just use the Disneyland Express but discovered it doesn't go to our hotel (the Fairfield) and I can't see being dropped off somewhere else and having to drag our luggage with us while we walk to a different location.

 

[felice]

I was going to book Execucar but started reading reviews as I was looking for a description of the difference between their business express and premium sedan service and the reviews are awful. I'm too scared to try them now. So now trying to talk myself into using Lansky even though it's so expensive. We would just use the Disneyland Express but discovered it doesn't go to our hotel (the Fairfield) and I can't see being dropped off somewhere else and having to drag our luggage with us while we walk to a different location.

TBH The Disneyland Express service did drop-off services at pretty much any hotel within range of the parks in previous years, so you should be able to inform the driver which hotel you're staying at and they should drop you off there without any problems. This is the first I've heard of them not supporting particular hotels - and it would be a surprise if this is true.